1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming system having a plurality of gaming machines linked by a network, and a control method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
Conventionally, among gaming machines such as a slot machine, there exist gaming machines conducting a payout called a jackpot. When a player has won the jackpot, the player can acquire a large amount of game media at once. Among those jackpots, there exists a jackpot called a progressive jackpot as disclosed for example in WO 99/03078-A1. With regard to the progressive jackpot, a part of game media inserted by the player is cumulatively accumulated as a cumulative value, and the accumulated game media are paid out when winning has occurred.
Further, conventionally, there exist gaming systems having a plurality of gaming machines linked by a network as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,728, U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,278, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,638, U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,055, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,553, U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,275, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,484, U.S. Pat. No. 7,056,215, US 2003/0236110-A1, US 2005/0079911-A1, US 2005/0119044-A1, US 2006/0205468-A1, US 2005/0187014-A1, US 2006/0287043-A1, US 2006/0073897-A1, US 2007/0087824-A1, and US 2007/0167217-A1. Among such gaming systems, there exists a gaming system which accumulates a part of game media inserted in the respective gaming machines and pays out the accumulated game media to a gaming machine having won the progressive jackpot.
On the gaming machine conducting a payout relating to the jackpot, as described above, the player generally plays a game with expectation that such a payout is conducted. Also, how large the amount of game media to be paid out along with winning of the jackpot will be, is a serious matter of concern for the player.
The inventor of the present invention has therefore thought that adding new features to effects in notifying the player of the amount of game media to be paid out along with winning of the jackpot may generate new entertainment aspects.
The present invention was made in view of the aforementioned issues, and a purpose thereof is to provide a gaming system having new entertainment aspects and a control method thereof.